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Faith's Firm Foundation: At The Well: Goals

Monday, January 25, 2010

At The Well: Goals

Gathering At the Well


If you're from Minnesota, as I am, you might be thinking about a different kind of goal today!  In the aftermath of last night's game between the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints, it's not only the Vikings and Brett Favre that're feeling beat up!  Fans have had high hopes dashed once again, as the Vikings fumbled the ball, missed opportunities, and made too few goals!  In football, it's all or nothing. You make goals or you lose.  And "that's all she wrote".  But, fortunately for us as Christians, God doesn't look at making goals that way.  On December 31 God doesn't look back at our New Year's goals sheet, see how many of our goals we made, and if we didn't make them all, do a "thumbs down," accompanied by a long B-e-e-e-e-p, which communicates, "Sorry, you didn't make it, you lose"!  If you're a Minnesota Vikings fan, and you think goals and winning the Super Bowl are everything, you're probably more than a little depressed today. Fortunately Faith and football are not the same. God does not judge me by the number of goals I make, or whether I make any, I don't think. But He is communicating with me, "coaching" me, you could even say, and I want to run His plays. The goals I write down are my thoughts on the plays I think He wants me to run.

I set goals in faith every year, but some of them are more like "guidelines" and others are more like "dreams."  After much prayer, I pencil in something here, and something there.  Some of them I set high, like memorization goals, and reading-through-the-Bible-in-a-year goals, knowing that everything I do along these lines will be going in the right direction:  it's not the reaching the goal that's the important thing, but what working at the goal accomplishes in me that is important.  Other goals are what I believe God is directing me to do, like ministry efforts I feel led to start, or saving and giving goals.  But, being married, these goals have to be confirmed through agreement from my husband, and the circumstances and provision that the Lord gives throughout the year.  Other goals are like a mountain peak which I can see way up high, that seems very far away right now. Only a combination of God's enabling, great effort and faith will bring it within reach. These goals are faithbuilding when accomplished, for they seem so impossible to achieve, but if He puts the dream in your heart, and you keep your eyes on Him, your Guide, at all times, He can make the impossible, possible.

This year of 2010, goal-setting went a little differently than other years.  Instead of charging into the New Year with goals under my belt, I took the month of January to seek the Lord, pray and ask for more direction.  Here are some of the things I believe He said to me:
  • A Deep relationship with Me is of Prime Importance: Deepen your relationship with Me by digging into My Word; Go Deeper
  • Regain the discipline you've lost: Reclaim Lost Ground that you've given over to satan, and be an example of all you believe and preach
  • Turn the other cheek and Forgive
  • Have Faith to pray specifically and Ask Me for Big Dreams
  • Step Out in faith and Don't Judge Your Success or Failure by what you can See
  • Trust your loved ones with Me and PRAY fervently for them
  • Get your eyes on ME and off others
Ideas/Goals I have that have come out of that are:
  • Starting a Young Moms' Group where struggles can be shared, questions can be asked, burdens can be lifted, prayers can go up and masks come down.
  • Changing my schedule and prioritizing better, with consistency maintained.
  • Keeping a Prayer notebook, with recorded requests and answers.
  • Witnessing and discipling more boldly, with spiritual antennae up for the Holy Spirit's direction, while leaving the results to God
  • Spending the time necessary in the Word, prayer and memorization to have a close relationship with my Heavenly Father and to recognize His voice when He speaks.
  • Not comparing "My Assignment from God" with anybody else's
  • Believing that God will answer my prayers to be spiritually fruitful, skinny and published this year (I'm being really vulnerable here folks)--Stepping out in Faith and Dreaming Big Dreams for God's Glory (and willing to do my part in their accomplishment).
These Ideas/Goals have to be discussed with my husband, then, if ok'd, broken down into smaller bite-size chunks (something like quarters and 1st downs) which are measurable: weekly and monthly, smaller goals.

I'm thankful that Faith is not like Football, and it's not how many goals are made that's important, but knowing the Head Coach and running His plays. You can never lose being on His winning team!

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3 Comments:

Blogger Deborah Ann said...

We were rooting for the Saints. Nothing against Brett, but the Saints needed this victory. I love how you make the connection between sports and faith. I'm so glad in God's eyes there are only winners!

January 25, 2010 at 11:55 AM  
Blogger Wendy said...

Ah, football--watching last night's game reminded me why I quit watching! I get too "into" it! My son said I'm a "vocal watcher"--and if I watch too much, I can get my hopes up too high, and then get depressed when they lose! I am to be led by the Spirit, not the flesh, and lust not for the things of this world, so, for me, that meant only an occasional "playoffs" game, once every 10 years or so:)
I'm so glad God sees things in a whole different way than we do. Romans 12:2(KJV)--"And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Again, the impossible made possible!
Blessings!
Wendy

January 25, 2010 at 12:57 PM  
Blogger Denise said...

Nice post.

January 25, 2010 at 1:01 PM  

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Blessings,
Wendy
If you would rather, my email address is faithsfirmfoundation(at)embarqmail(dot)com

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